# Comedy movies that haven't aged well **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 16, 2014, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358 "2014-12-16T03:51:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358/21 "2014-12-16T17:15:56Z")
Eddie Murphey’s Nutty Professor Maybe I’ve simply outgrown his style of humor, tho, to be honest, I didn’t find it more than mildly amusing the first time around. The Jerry Lewis version still makes me giggle. “To me…, carbon dioxide…, has always been a gas.” ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358/22 "2014-12-16T17:18:15Z")
I’ve always acknowledged that _The Birdcage_ has lol moments, but I’ve also always had a BUNCH of problems with it. Now you can add really really dated: it would be unthinkable to hide a gay couple’s orientation from the girlfriend’s parents no matter how conservative they were. My main problem even in the '90s was the lack of believability of Williams and Lane as a longtime couple who love each other and the lack of any evidence that the son considers Lane a co-parent. Since the actors were good all around I think that this was the fault of writing that was deliberately neutered to not offend Mrs. Grundy and it seriously hurts the movie 20 years later. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358/23 "2014-12-16T17:21:09Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Clerks wins the award for me. I remember it being hilarious when I first saw it. Some years ago, my wife said she hadn’t watched it so I figured I’d show it to her. Before doing so, I watched some myself just to see how it held up. Ugh, I didn’t even bother wasting her time with it. > > It was definitely a “you had to be there” in the moment sort of film. Well, I guess I’m thirding Clerks. I just watched it again for the first time since high school and I almost fell asleep. I remember laughing my ass off at that movie. Like you, my wife had never seen it, but unfortunately I did waste her time with it. I’m sure I’ll hear about it the next time we’re trying to pick out something to watch. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358/24 "2014-12-16T17:25:47Z")
What is most surprising about a lot of 70s and 80s comedies is how slow the pace is. You only remember the funny parts but there is another 90 minutes to two hours around them that can go on forever. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358/25 "2014-12-16T17:26:47Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Many of the scenes from Dudley Moore’s _Arthur_ are still hilarious, **BUT** the drunk driving scenes are jaw dropping. Today they’d be picketed at the theaters from the moment they opened and every “news” show would have somebody who’s lost somebody to a drunk driver talking about how offensive it is. > (I don’t recall it being that big a deal when it opened, but I was a kid so perhaps it was.) I take it you’ve never seen The 40-Year-Old Virgin. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358/26 "2014-12-16T17:30:21Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > I take it you’ve never seen The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Big difference is the drunk driver is not the “hero” of the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358/27 "2014-12-16T17:40:53Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > Big difference is the drunk driver is not the “hero” of the movie. Not really. It’s still played for big laughs, and I don’t think there was any picketing Dudley Moore’s character was similar to Leslie Mann’s, in that they were both ridiculous characters whose absurd behavior was played for comedic effect. Arthur only became the hero when he straightened up a bit. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358/28 "2014-12-16T17:41:46Z")
I recently watched _The Jerk_, remembering how we would quote the funny lines back in middle school. Not even a smirk this time. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358/29 "2014-12-16T17:52:56Z")
I loved Bill and Ted’s excellent adventure when it first came out. Watching it recently it just seemed kind of dumb. But that may have been partially because I was watching it with my wife who has low tolerance for juvenile humor. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358/30 "2014-12-16T17:55:16Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Many of the scenes from Dudley Moore’s _Arthur_ are still hilarious, **BUT** the drunk driving scenes are jaw dropping. Today they’d be picketed at the theaters from the moment they opened and every “news” show would have somebody who’s lost somebody to a drunk driver talking about how offensive it is. > (I don’t recall it being that big a deal when it opened, but I was a kid so perhaps it was.) I’m not sure why comedy is supposed to be inoffensive. Arthur is still funny. Only dulled by the fact that I know all the lines. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358/31 "2014-12-16T17:56:58Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > I loved Bill and Ted’s excellent adventure when it first came out. Watching it recently it just seemed kind of dumb. But that may have been partially because I was watching it with my wife who has low tolerance for juvenile humor. I’m really interested in how the [latter day sequel](http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/bill-ted-star-alex-winter-new-sequel-will-be-really-f-ing-funny-20140926) is going to fare. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358/32 "2014-12-16T17:59:35Z")
American Pie perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358/33 "2014-12-16T18:01:37Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I’m not sure why comedy is supposed to be inoffensive. Arthur is still funny. Only dulled by the fact that I know all the lines. It doesn’t have to be; John Waters’ films were offensive as hell and hilarious, but it depends on the material and the atmosphere and other factors. However, in Arthur it’s essential that you _like_ the character and feel sympathy for him. It’s easy to feel sorry for and like the main character even if he’s a playboy zillionaire so long as he’s basically good at heart, but less easy when he does something that could easily end or destroy the quality of life of innocent people (especially when he has a chauffeur). Doesn’t sink the movie, but a misfire. The sequel, which isn’t nearly as good but does have a couple of funny moments, actually shows the pendulum shift in how problem drinking was portrayed in film. Much of it concerns Arthur’s drying out. Does have a funny exchange about it- a paraphrase: ARTHUR: I’m very serious about quitting drinking. Social Worker (Kathy Bates): What have you done? ARTHUR: Well, a few months ago I joined Alcoholics Anonymous. Social Worker: How many meetings do you go to per month? ARTHUR: There are meetings? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358/34 "2014-12-16T18:12:21Z")
Mel Brooks’s _Spaceballs_: just absolutely unwatchable today, IMHO. Doesn’t hold up 1% as well as the movies it lampoons. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358/35 "2014-12-16T18:19:44Z")
Mel Brooks’ The Producers (the original) - the SHOCK of gay designers and humorous Nazis has to be played much bigger these days. I think the musical revision succeeds there. And in the 70’s, I would have named that as my favorite comedy. Now, sometimes it depends on the audience- watching Dr. Strangelove with people who aren’t into it is an endurance test. You might enjoy the jokes but they’re not & you understand why. ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358/36 "2014-12-16T18:26:12Z")
> [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](#): > > I don’t think _The Blues Brothers_ has aged especially well: the stereotypes are pretty old by now. You might be able to show it to a 55 year old who, for some reason, missed it, and the jokes might still resonate. I doubt that anyone under the age of 30 would crack a smile unless they’d grown up in Chicago. No way. My kids love this movie—and have for years. They’re now 16 and 11, and we watch this at least every couple of months. It’s been sitting on the DVR for many years now so we can pull it up any time we want. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358/37 "2014-12-16T18:38:50Z")
I haven’t watched the original version of _The Producers_ in decades, nor have I watched _Clerks_ since right after it was released. Since I thought both were funny at the time, I’ll have to see what I think now, particularly whether I agree with the consensus about _Clerks_. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358/38 "2014-12-16T18:44:40Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > You might think **Napolean Dynamite** would not have held up well, but IMO you’d be wrong. For me the more I watch ND the funnier it gets. The first couple of times I thought it was so stupid but then after multiple views I started picking up on the subtlety. This past thanksgiving while eating ham I kept thinking, “Tina come get some ham.” > [@Sampiro](#): > > Mel Brooks’s _Spaceballs_: just absolutely unwatchable today, IMHO. > Doesn’t hold up 1% as well as the movies it lampoons. Maybe if you seen it a bunch of times. I watched it about a month ago with someone who had never seen it and they thought it was hilarious especially the Yogurt scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358/39 "2014-12-16T18:46:10Z")
_Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner_ is a bigger period piece now than _The Importance of Being Earnest_, due in part to glacial pacing and in part to Sidney Poitier’s character being such a [Marty Stu](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Sue) character (a gorgeous widowed doctor who donates his time to charity) and repeated references to him as a Negro. OTOH, while not exactly a comedy (though it has comedic moments), I watched _Lilies of the Field_ recently and was surprised how well it holds up- much better than _Guess Who_. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358/40 "2014-12-16T18:48:47Z")
I find Austin Power painfully unfunny now. I loved it at the time. I kind of like the opening musical moments and I like the opening to the third one, but the rest is kind of dull. Even though it seemed fresh to me in 1997, it now seems cliche. I guess it made itself cliche somehow. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedy-movies-that-havent-aged-well/707358.md?page=3)